The Long Goodbye

Features

cocktail bar

bar food

live music

notable cocktails

Flynn McLennan loves going to nice bars, but hates waiting ages for a drink. So at The Long Goodbye the drinks list is designed so any cocktail can be made in a couple of minutes. And there's no menu – you walk in, name a flavour and he'll make you something. Everything here is mixable and nothing is sacred.

McLennan spends his downtime developing new liqueurs, such as the duck fat-washed apricot brandy; he pairs it with cognac, lemon and Chinese five-spice for a twist on the Sidecar. There’s also a Negroni made with a sticky-sweet beetroot liqueur. Along the back bar there’s a row of other creations such as rhubarb liqueur; a strawberry and balsamic shrub; chilli bitters made with the world’s hottest chilli, the Carolina Reaper; and even a house-made chinotto.

McLennan opened the bar with long-time friend Dennis Jen, an ex-customer from his Uncle Ming’s and Zeta days. The self-confessed film-and-book nerds have named the bar after the Raymond Chandler novel because of the author’s love of the Gimlet; a simple, classic, three-ingredient drink.

There's just one toastie served over the bar, but you can order food in from Dumplings and Beer downstairs. Live music features severl nights a week.